Global FC's Misagh Bahadoran has little room to maneuver as he is surrounded by four South China defenders. Jaime Campos

GLOBAL FC got a rude awakening in its Asian Football Confederation Cup debut as it succumbed to a strong South China side, 6-1, on Wednesday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The defending United Football League champions fell in a huge hole early and never recovered as they opened their maiden campaign in second-tier club competition in the continent on the wrong foot.

Global still has five games left in the four-team Group G, facing Pahang FA of Malaysia next on March 11 in the opponent’s turf.

Daniel McBreen and Mahama Awal proved thorns in the side of the lone Philippine representative to the AFC Cup by scoring a brace apiece, while skipper Chan Wai Ho and Lo Kong Wai were also on target for South China.

Michael Jonsson provided a consolation for Global with a late goal.

“We need to develop more of our planning and strategy,” said Global coach Dan Padernal, who stood in for Leigh Manson owing to coaching license restrictions.

The rout, though, was not surprising considering Global faced the best club team in Hong Kong, having won 41 Division 1 championships in its premier league.

“But we didn’t expect the score to be what it was,” South China coach Mario Gomez said through an interpreter.

South China caught the Global defense napping just two minutes into the match when the Hong Kong side found the back of the net with a looping goal by McBreen in an ominous sign that left the partisan crowd stunned.

McBreen, 37-year-old Australian striker, doubled the lead in the 27th minute, before Lo added to the cushion with a goal off the rebound 10 minutes later.

South China kept the pedal to the metal and punished Global in counterattacks in the second half as Chan joined the scoring fray just five minutes after intermission with an impressive free-kick conversion.

After being a facilitator in the first few goals, Awal, the 23-year-old Cameroonian winger, emerged on the scoring end by scoring twice in a span of just 10 minutes, starting in the 65th.

The Filipino-Icelandic Jonsson, brother of former Azkals defender Ray, avoided the shutout with a close-range goal off Mark Hartmann four minutes before stoppage time.